Large pieces of furniture, such as beds, can occupy a substantial amount of space. For instance, a king sized bed with a headboard could have a width of about 81 inches, a length of about 86 inches, and a height of about 56 inches. Even if the headboard, footboard, side rails, and mattress support system were disassembled from each other and packed, a box occupying about 30 cubic feet could be required. Thus, shipping and storage of the packaged furniture still requires a substantial amount of space, in particular when multiple pieces of furniture are packaged and shipped or stored en masse (e.g., as inventory). Accordingly, there is a need for an improved packaging of beds which avoids these disadvantages and deficiencies.